


For Better or for Worse

by zubeneschamali



Series: Spitfire [3]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M, Trope Inversion, alpha!Jared, omega!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zubeneschamali/pseuds/zubeneschamali
Summary: Third entry in the Spitfire 'verse, second entry chronologically. Jared is more than happy to help Jensen fulfill his desire to finish his college degree, but they find that just because they both want something doesn't mean it's going to happen easily.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: Spitfire [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1490435
Comments: 34
Kudos: 188





	For Better or for Worse

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to fill in the blanks about how Jensen got back into college and show a little more of these boys getting to know each other, leading up to the chapter we've already seen.

"Jared, can I talk to you about something?"

After four weeks of marriage, Jared knew that tone of voice. Jensen was bitter about something that probably had to do with his status as an Omega in the hierarchical world they lived in but both resented. Jared probably wouldn't be able to do anything about it, but he was certainly willing to give it a shot.

They were sitting at the dining room table, the remains of dinner in front of them. Jared was used to microwaving meals or eating sandwiches, anything that didn't require standing for long periods of time. Jensen had some skill in the kitchen, but Jared suspected he didn't want to fit too neatly into the role of the Omega homemaker, so he'd been making the basics like spaghetti or stir-fry. It was still delicious. Jared scraped up the last of his rice and chicken and said, "Sure, what's up?"

Jensen was sitting up very straight in his chair, shoulders back. He drew in a deep breath and asked, "Do you remember our first night here? When I said I had almost finished college before I had to…come here?"

Jared nodded. "Yeah, you said you had about a semester to go, right? And then your parents decided getting married was more important."

"Yeah." Jensen wet his lips and went on, "I want to go back and finish my degree. The registration for next semester is going to start soon, and I'll need to file for re-entry before that happens."

"Okay."

There was silence for a moment. Then Jensen cocked his head to the side. "What?" he asked incredulously.

"It's not like we can't afford it. And I know you were upset at not being able to finish. Osric can drive you to classes, and you won't have to worry about finding time to study."

Jensen let out a long, slow breath, staring down at his plate. "Okay," he said slowly. "That…was much easier than I expected."

"You thought I wouldn't approve?" Jared asked, stung. "I thought you knew me better than that by now."

Jensen licked his lips again. "I guess logically I thought you'd be okay with it, given what we've talked about in the past, but—I'm still getting used to this. You. Us."

"Me not being as much of a dick as you expected," Jared said knowingly.

A small flush reddened Jensen's cheeks. "Something like that." 

Jared reached across the table and took Jensen's hand, holding it in both of his. "If you want to go back to college, I totally support that. I will do whatever I can to help. I want you to be happy, Jensen."

Jensen looked back at him for a long moment. Finally, he squeezed Jared's hand. "Thank you. I really appreciate that. But I don't know—I mean, I'm not going to be a practicing physical therapist. Not with all of this." He made an all-encompassing gesture to include their house, and maybe even the pack lands around it. "It's not like I need a degree."

"But you want to finish it. You want to do something for yourself. I understand that, Jensen. I think it's a good idea."

"Right, I probably need to take back some kind of control over my life or something."

Jared rolled his eyes and leaned back, letting go of Jensen's hand. "I'm not trying to analyze you."

Jensen let out a sigh. "I know. Sometimes I just—I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Jared bit back the hurt comment he wanted to make. They might both have been forced into this marriage by their families, but Jensen stood to lose a lot more than Jared. Given that he'd been assuming Jared was the same kind of traditionalist that his family was, he'd been expecting an Alpha who would seek to control his every move. Instead, he had Jared…and he was still trying to adjust to that.

Instead, Jared gave him a warm smile. "I'm not going to go all Alpha on you. What you see is what you get."

"I'm trying to believe that," Jensen said. The corner of his mouth turned up in a rueful smile. "Don't take that as an insult."

Jared raised his eyebrows. "Believe me, I know what it sounds like when you insult someone."

The rich sound of Jensen's chuckle warmed something deep inside of Jared. He really liked Jensen, and he couldn't help but hope that they could make this thing between them work. Maybe Jensen going back to college would be a good start.

Two days later, Jared was sitting on the couch, going over some e-mails related to his branch of the family business, when he heard the car pull up outside. He smiled to himself. Jensen had headed off to campus that morning to get the re-enrollment process started. He'd only missed one semester, so it shouldn't have been too difficult. Jared was planning on ordering in a nice dinner to celebrate Jensen's upcoming return to school.

The front door burst open, and Jensen stalked inside before slamming it behind him.

Jared sat up straight. "What's wrong?"

"Goddamn assholes, think they're better than everyone else, think they can tell everyone else what to do," Jensen muttered as he stalked across the foyer and into the living room. "I'm a fucking adult, I can make up my own damn mind."

Jared was growing used to Jensen's foul mouth—swearing was considered lower-class in the Padalecki family and so rarely heard at home—but he'd never heard this kind of eruption from him before. "Jensen, what happened?"

Jensen hurled a folder onto the couch. It landed half-open, spraying papers across the couch and Jared's lap. "I need _permission_. From my _husband._ Like I'm a goddamn child or something."

Jared drew his head back. "They wouldn't let you enroll?"

"Why would a married Omega need to be in college?" Jensen sneered. "Their place is at home. At least, that's what the damn counselor told me when I finally got in to see her." 

"That's ridiculous," Jared burst out. "Is that the college policy, or just this one idiot?"

"Doesn't matter. She's the one who has to approve my re-admission application." Jensen dropped into the armchair and ran both hands through his hair. "It just never ends."

"If you want, I can go and talk to them—"

"Oh, so you can join in on it, too? Treating me like I'm not a full-grown adult? Yeah, that'll really help, Jared."

"If it gets you into classes like you want, isn't it worth it?"

"You have no idea what it's like," Jensen snarled. "Being told every step of the way that you're not worth anything, that you can't be part of the world that everyone else lives in. You have no idea what it feels like to give up a little piece of yourself every time someone demands that you fit into what they think you should be."

"Oh, don't I?" Jared tapped his bad leg. "I don't have a driver because I'm stuck on myself. I can't drive because I can't be sure my leg won't lock up on me. My family and half the town thinks I'm utterly worthless because I can't walk like a normal person anymore, and I have the audacity to try and get around with a brace and a cane where anyone can see me. I think about it every time I leave this house. So yeah, I think I know a little something about being treated like that."

Jensen slumped back into the armchair, wiping his hand across his jaw. "Yeah, I know," he said more quietly. "I'm sorry. I remember how ridiculously they treated you on our wedding day."

"We're both trapped, Jensen, just for opposite reasons. You're not supposed to be as strong-willed as you are, and I'm not supposed to be as weak as I am."

"You are _not_ weak," Jensen snapped. "Don't even think that."

Jared drew his head back, confused as to how he had made Jensen angry. "What makes you say that?"

"You're determined to still be yourself. You could do what they expect you to do and just live here up in the woods without seeing anyone. God knows you have enough money to do it. But you go to business meetings, you go out with me—you make sure that people see you for who you are. That takes a lot of guts."

"And you could just roll over and let people think that you're a married Omega who's going to stay inside all of the time. Or you could give up one more little piece of yourself, just one more time, and let me help you get what you want."

Jensen shook his head and gave a heavy sigh. "I don't know if I can." 

Jared held up his hands. "It's up to you. And I understand if it's too much. But I can help if you want me to. I can sign the papers, or go to campus with you, or whatever you want."

They sat in silence for a while. Finally, Jensen stood up. "Let me think about it."

Jared nodded, and Jensen turned and went upstairs.

He ordered dinner in anyway, even if it wasn't for a celebration. They talked about mundane things on the news as they ate. After Jensen cleared their plates and started the dishwasher, he turned towards Jared, still sitting at the table. "Are you busy tomorrow morning?"

"Just doing some work at home."

Jensen nodded, pressing his lips together. After a moment, he said, "I'd like to go back to the college and try again. If you think you can come along."

It wasn't _exactly_ a request for help, but Jared was pretty sure it was the closest Jensen could get to it right now. "Sure, I can come along," he said casually.

"Okay." Jensen swiped the dishcloth over the counter a few times and then quickly said, "Thanks."

"No problem." Jared pushed back his chair and levered himself upright. "I think I'm going to watch TV in bed tonight. Do you want to join me?"

Jensen shook his head, still looking at the countertop. "I think I'd rather sleep upstairs tonight."

Jared nodded, swallowing down his disappointment. "Of course. I'll see you in the morning, then."

In the morning, Jensen was making coffee when Jared entered the kitchen. When Jared moved past him to reach the fridge, Jensen took a hold of his arm. Then he briefly brushed a kiss across Jared's lips before turning back to the coffeemaker.

Jared couldn't help but grin as he opened the fridge. It had been four weeks since their first morning together, tangled up in bed and trying a series of gentle kisses to see if they might be able to make a real marriage out of this. Ever since, whether they woke up next to each other or not, they'd started the day with a kiss. Jared was rapidly getting used to it, and he was glad that the tension between them yesterday hadn't put an end to this custom.

Of course, by the time they were in the car and Osric was driving them to the college, Jensen was back to being his prickly self. Even without saying a word, he was radiating resentment and anger.

Jared reached over and put a hand on Jensen's thigh. He got a quick glare in response, but Jensen didn't try to shake his hand off. Jared just let it rest there, hoping it was a quiet reminder that he was there beside Jensen, however he needed him.

When they got to the main office, as soon as Jared introduced himself, they were being shown into a smaller office and offered coffee. Jensen was clearly fighting to keep the scowl on his face from growing any larger than it already was, so Jared didn't think putting his hand on his leg again would help matters.

After only a few minutes, they were ushered into a larger office, where a woman with brown hair greeted them with a smile. "Mr. Padalecki. It's so nice to meet you. I'm Sam Ferris."

"You're the person Jensen met with yesterday?" Jared started as soon as they were seated. He'd brought his cane with him, and he leaned it against the arm of the chair, noticing how Ferris's gaze flickered towards it.

"Yes, that's right. I'm sorry for the inconvenience of you coming all the way down here, Mr. Padalecki. All we needed was your signature."

"Yes, about that. I guess I'm a bit confused. Jensen was already enrolled here, so I don't understand why it's up to anyone but him if he wants to return."

Ferris straightened her shoulders and gave Jared a prim smile. "You must realize, Mr. Padalecki, that this is a very unusual situation. Normally, Omegas have other duties and obligations once they're married that preclude them from being able to devote the time they need to their studies."

"Well, that's not the case here."

Her smile became more brittle. "I'm going to be quite frank with you, Mr. Padalecki. While any married Omega would have to have the permission of their spouse to enroll or re-enroll, I must admit I was particularly puzzled that it was _your_ spouse meeting with me."

"He's right here," Jared said, gesturing to Jensen in the chair beside him. "You can address him as well."

"Oh. Of course." She glanced at Jensen before returning her attention to Jared. "Mr. Padalecki, your pack is of the highest standing in the community, and we here at the college are so grateful for all of the donations your family has made over the years. It's because of this high standing that I suppose had some concerns that your spouse might be seeking out something that was against your wishes."

"And why would you think that?" Jared asked as calmly as he could. 

"Well, he hardly needs to earn a degree in order to work." Ferris waved a hand at Jared. "You're clearly able to provide for him."

Jared gave her a pained smile. It was none of her damn business why Jensen wanted to finish his degree, but he had to give her a reason that would fit in with her narrow conception of the world so she would just get on with it already. "If you know who I am, Ms. Ferris, then you must have heard about the car accident I was in a few years ago."

Her expression instantly turned sympathetic, even though she glanced at his cane again. "I believe I did hear something about that, Mr. Padalecki. I'm very sorry you had to go through that."

"May I tell you something in strictest confidence?"

She mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key. Beside him, Jensen gave a soft snort.

Jared leaned closer. "It took a long time for me to recover, and even today, there are some times when I'm not feeling one hundred percent. It would be nice to have a physical therapist on my staff, but that might give people the wrong impression about my condition."

Ferris nodded, eyes alight as if she was enjoying hearing a piece of gossip.

Jared drew a deep breath, willing Jensen not to get pissed off. "So it seemed to make sense to have Jensen complete his degree, so that he could serve that function on the rare occasions I need it."

There was a strangled sound from beside him, but nothing more. Jared wasn't sure if it was because of the insult he had apparently delivered, insinuating his husband was equivalent to the household staff, or because Jensen had already been working on Jared's leg almost every single day.

"I see." Ferris sat back in her chair. "I admit, that does make a certain amount of sense."

"But you can understand why we would want to be discreet about it."

"Of course, Mr. Padalecki. I won't tell a soul." She graced him with a wide smile that turned to something more concerned. "But that does bring us to the nature of Jensen's chosen field of study, which is another issue." 

Jared raised his eyebrows. "How does that pose a problem?"

"Well. You see, some of the physical therapy courses he has yet to take require clinical experience."

"I'm still not seeing the problem."

Ferris cleared her throat. "They require the therapist to put his or her hands on their clients. It's not really appropriate to put a married Omega in that situation."

"I see." Jared didn't dare glance at Jensen right now, given that he could all but hear him fuming. He was getting pretty pissed himself. "So you expect that the clients that you have students work with will try and take advantage of them, is that what you mean?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. We would never risk our students in that fashion."

"All right. So if you don't feel your clients pose a risk, I can only assume that what you're saying is, I should mistrust my husband."

Ferris blinked a few times like a deer caught in headlights. 

Jared rose to his feet as smoothly as he could. "I think that's a remarkable insult that you've made to my husband, Ms. Ferris. And to me." 

"I—Mr. Padalecki, I would never—it's nothing personal, it's just how Omegas _are_ —"

Jensen shot out of his chair, and Jared stepped halfway in front of him, cane securely in his hand. "I trust that you can fill out the necessary paperwork yourself, Ms. Ferris, without the need for my signature. Consider it a special favor if you must."

He left her stammering at her desk as he strode out of the room, trying desperately not to limp. He could hear Jensen behind him all the way to the car, sometimes muttering under his breath and sometimes silently seething.

They stayed quiet on the car ride home. But as soon as they were inside their house, Jensen whirled on him. "You want me to be your personal therapist, is that it? That's why you're going along with me?"

"Jensen, you know that's not it." Jared raised a hand to put it on Jensen's shoulder, but Jensen shrugged it off. Jared went on anyway. "People like Ferris aren't going to listen. They have their understanding of how the world works, and trying to challenge it is only going to make things worse."

"So now she thinks that I'm training to put my hands on you as part of my husbandly duties."

"If that's what it takes, then yes. If one person ends up with a misconception, what's that worth if it gets you in? She's going to make sure that all of the i's are dotted and t's are crossed from now on. No one's going to question why you're in their classes. Not when she's worried about pissing off a big donor."

Jensen pursed his lips but didn't respond. There was grudging acceptance in his eyes, which was more than Jared could have hoped for at this point. It gave him the courage to go one step farther and say, "Listen, Jensen. When we're outside, there are going to be times that I have to say things that I don't mean. I don't know how to get around that. But within these four walls, you and I are equals. I want you to remember that."

"Why?"

Jared frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you so different from any other Alpha I've ever met?" Beneath Jensen's words, Jared could hear the unspoken question: _Why should I believe you?_

He sighed. "I didn't grow up believing in equal rights, believe me. I'm not that noble. It was because of the accident. Because everything was different afterwards. And it made me realize how tenuous this whole system is, that it only works because we keep reinforcing it. And I don't want to reinforce it anymore."

There was silence for a moment. Then Jensen slowly reached up and put his hand on Jared's chest. "The thing is, Jared, I want to hate you. You should be the symbol of everything that's wrong with my life, everything I get forced into doing or being against my will. It would be easier if I could hate you for that." He looked up and met Jared's gaze. "But I can't."

Jared drew in a shaky breath. "I'm glad to hear that."

The corner of Jensen's mouth quirked up before he went on, "And at the same time, I want to trust you. But I can't do that, either."

Jared reached up and put his hand over Jensen's, ignoring the twinge of hurt he felt at Jensen's words. "At least, not yet."

Jensen regarded him for a while, green-eyed gaze steady and serious. Finally, he said, "No, at least not yet."

Jared briefly rubbed the back of Jensen's hand before letting his hand fall to his side, and Jensen patted his chest before stepping back. "Well then," Jared said. "I guess you can start planning your courses for next semester."

"Yeah, I guess so." Jensen started to turn away and then threw back over his shoulder, "Thanks."

Jared gave a small smile, even if Jensen couldn't see it. "Anytime."

That night, Jensen crawled into bed beside him, the mulish expression on his face daring Jared to say anything about it. Jared just pulled the blankets over them both and said, "Good night."

Jared woke up in the morning with Jensen sprawled across him, snoring lightly, and he couldn't help but smile. He'd already thought about this, but now he made the firm commitment to himself that was going to do whatever it took to get Jensen to trust him. He knew that was likely to be a long, slow process, given Jensen's situation.

But he was already starting to realize that being forced to marry Jensen might well have been the best thing that ever happened to him. And he was going to do whatever he could to make sure the reverse was true as well.

Someday.


End file.
